Kalani, 7, Kendall, 5, Josephina, 3, and Sophia, 2, were killed when flames engulfed their home.
CHADBOURN, N.C. — NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is helping cover the cost of memorial services for four young sisters who died in a house fire in North Carolina, according to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
Kalani, 7, Kendall, 5, Josephina, 3, and Sophia, 2, were killed when flames engulfed their home in Columbus County.
Two other girls, age 11, escaped. First responders arrived quickly, but the fire was too intense for them to enter safely.
O’Neal, along with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office and sheriffs from Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina, stepped in to pay the full cost of the memorial, easing the burden on the grieving family.
“The collaborative donation fully covers the expenses associated with honoring the girls, lifting the financial burden from the grieving family,” the sheriff’s office said. “Shaquille O’Neal and the sheriffs joined in solidarity with Columbus County Sheriff Bill Rogers, whose community has been deeply impacted by the tragedy.
The girls were remembered in their obituary as “bright lights who brought joy to everyone around them,” each with unique loves from sunsets and rainbows to pizza and Bluey.
No adults were home at the time, WNCN reported. Officials said the mother, Reagan Noelle Powers, has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse with serious bodily injury.